B

C

Chronic: a condition that someone has for a long time or one that goes away and keeps coming back. Diabetes and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, for example, are chronic illnesses.

Chronic injury: An injury that happens over a period of time and is usually the result of repetitive training, such as running, overhand throwing, or serving a ball in tennis.

Closed fracture: a fracture that doesn't break the skin.

Comminuted fracture: when the bone is broken in more than two pieces or crushed.

Computed tomography (CAT): also called computed tomography scan or CT scan. This is a type of X-ray in which a machine rotates around the patient and creates a picture of the inside of the body from different angles. Regular X-rays show bones and other areas of the body, but CAT scans show much more detail.

Concussion: a temporary loss of normal brain function.

Contusion: a bruise caused by a direct blow, which may cause swelling and bleeding in muscles and other body tissues.

Corticosteroids: medications that doctors prescribe to treat some illnesses or injuries. For example, corticosteroids can be used to reduce or prevent swelling and irritation (like asthma control medications or anti-itch creams). Not to be confused with anabolic steroids.

W

X

X-ray: a procedure that uses radiation to take pictures of internal areas of the body. They're done by an X-ray technician in the radiology department of a hospital, a freestanding radiology center, or a health care provider's office.